


somebody to stay

by darkskies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: EVERYONE IS ALIVE AND HAPPY, F/F, Fix-It, Fuck Canon, M/M, Post-Season/Series 08 Finale, Romellura, adashi, everyone is gay and thriving, fuck voltron, klance, klance is canon king, this is my city now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 06:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17017779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkskies/pseuds/darkskies
Summary: “And I realized, I wanted that with one specific person,” He says the last part quietly that Keith almost doesn’t catch it over the loud rise and fall of the waves. Lance realizes what he’s said but it’s too late now. He’s crossed a line he never thought he would cross and there’s no going back now.or in which Lance and Keith have a heart to heart back on earth, watching a sunset, leading to hidden feelings to come sprawling out.





	somebody to stay

Lance leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed, watching them. He watches Pidge tackle Keith to the ground and wrench the game controller away from his grasp, watches Keith let out a laugh, his head tilted back, his mouth open and his eyes shut as he freely lets out great big chortles, then suddenly he snorts. He then realizes what happened as the room descends into silence, and draws his hands to cover his mouth as his eyes widen. Everyone else looks at each other for a few seconds, then the room erupts into loud hysteria, clutching stomachs and wiping eyes. Keith catches Lance’s eyes, quickly shooting a small smile in his direction before looking away.

Lance watches them all with a smile, his second family, watches them bathe in the company of each other without the threat of uncertain danger hanging above them. They’re free, they can breathe again. Sometimes, Lance wonders what would’ve happened if one of them hadn’t made it. He wonders what would’ve happened if he hadn’t made it, but that opens doors for his insecurities and self-doubt to welcome him, so he doesn’t try to think about that much.

He sees Allura lean into Romelle, looking up at her and smiling before laying her head on Romelle’s chest, Romelle wrapping her arms around Allura. He tries not to feel a pang of pain of what could have been and instead smiles at them, because _they deserve each other and they’re happy, and that’s all that matters._ He sees Adam and Shiro converse, heads bent together, talking while giggling quietly like young kids in love. They’re inseparable, always attached at the hip and can’t seem to keep their hands away from each other, making up for all the years they’ve spent apart. Lance has seen Shiro smile more lately than he’s ever seen him smile all the years he’s known him. His face is brighter and he doesn’t seem so tense anymore.  He sees Hunk and Shay holding hands and talking with Keith, Pidge, and Matt.

Everyone belongs with each other and he knows he’s more than welcome here, but he can’t seem to shake off the feeling of being out of place. It looms over him like a heavy cloud. It’s not an unfamiliar feeling, one that he’s used to but sometimes it arrives like a stranger knocking on his door bringing unwanted gifts. His anxiety comes in waves, rushing to meet him and take him under the surface, suffocating him until there’s no air left in his lungs.

 _Maybe I need some fresh air, it’ll make me feel better_ , he thinks and turns to quietly slip away from the side door. They’re all at a beach house that Lance’s family own. A well-deserved vacation after saving the universe.

He steps outside and the wind combs through his soft brown hair, flapping his blue t-shirt. It’s cold and he probably should’ve put on a hoodie but he keeps striding forward through the soft sand beneath his feet. He’s missed the beach so so much, missed the water and swimming and the sun’s golden rays kissing his skin. His freckles are more prominent now, sprawled across the bridge of his nose and along his broad chest and defined back like a map of constellations. He keeps walking towards the shore, relishing in the feel of velvety fine-grained sand, grabbing the soles of his feet under with them. He breathes in the ocean carried salty air and listens to the lullaby of the waves he’s known ever since he could talk. Ahead him, the sky bleeds out from a golden orange to a rose pink as the sun hides beneath the horizon.

He plops himself down on the sand in front of the shoreline and draws up his knees to his chin. The warmed water laps at his feet lightly, he reaches out and picks up a handful of sand and lets it sift through his fingers. He lets his mind wander, but not too far because that’s too dangerous.

He sits with his knees drawn up for a few moments, but then stretches his legs and leans back on his arms. Just as he’s lifting his hand to comb through his hair, someone sits down beside him. He snaps his neck towards the figure and sees Keith settling down next to him. He’s in a red t-shirt that hugs his upper body, wearing black sweatpants with his hands stuck in the pockets. His mullet blows as the wind threads its ghostly fingers through his hair, whipping it in one direction. The sun has now disappeared and overhead the sky is starting to darken, and the birds fly high over their heads.

“Hey,” Keith says, looking towards the sunset.

“Hey,” Lance says dropping his hand into his lap.

“Too loud back there?” asks Keith, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“oh- yeah” replies Lance. They sit in silence before Keith breaks it.

“Lance, what’s up? You looked upset” he says turning to look at him.

“Nothing I’m okay, don’t wor-” he begins but cuts off when he sees Keith raise an eyebrow and he knows Keith won’t let it go until he can help in some way. He doesn’t know when they fell into this pattern, but they’ve both just been able to somehow almost telepathically sense when something is up with the other person. They’ve grown beyond their rivalry and are now close friends, that are there and rely on each other. 

Lance sighs. Keith knows him too well at this point to know when he’s lying through his teeth. Keith waits silently for him to start talking, he knows a long rant is coming.

Lance sighs again, and he turns around to look at the vast body of water, rippling softly. He finds comfort in the water, in the sea and the rain. It washes away his worries and grounds him. But he never wants to be grounded, he wants to fly. He wants the thrill of being up in the air, of being free and able to fly. He may have been born in the water but he was made to fly.

“I don’t know man, I just-” he struggles for words “I just feel off, and I know I shouldn’t, we’re back and safe, but it’s just that feeling of being out of place again, it’s coming back” he says, eyebrows drawn together and his lip pulled down. He shakes his head and waves his hand dismissively “just ignore me, I’m being stupid”

Keith looks at him, and he clenches his hand, fighting the urge to reach out and smoothen those wrinkles on Lance’s forehead. “I’ve told you this before, it’s not stupid if it’s bothering you,” Keith says calmly.

“Yeah I know,” Lance replies, “I see everyone, and they all have someone with them and it makes me feel so lonely even though I’m blessed with the most amazing friends in the entire universe” Lance risks a glance at Keith, he’s sitting with his knees drawn up, his arms wrapped around them, his hair dishevelled by the wind and his violet eyes glinting as the sunlight reflects on them. Lance thinks he looks gorgeous. But then a strong wave of déjà vu hits him as he realizes, _we’ve sat like this on a hill, watching the sunset_. Lance smiles to himself.

“It just feels like everyone leaves,” he says sadly.

“I can’t promise to be the bestest friend but I’ll have your back” Keith provides. Lance looks up and Keith is watching him with the fondest expression that he’s seen Keith wear. Lance feels a warmth spread through his bones and he offers Keith a small smile.

“Is-“ Keith starts hesitantly, “is this about Allura?” he asks.

Lance twists his head around, confused. Then he catches on, “ohhh no no no it’s not like that,” he says quickly. “No we’re okay now, don’t worry and we’ve both moved on” he explains. Keith chuckles, “yeah I can clearly see” Lance laughs quietly next to him.

They fall into silence again. “Then what’s wrong?” Keith asks gain, quietly and cautiously, like talking to a scared cat in the fear that it’ll run away if you speak too loud. Lance is similar like that, he’s willing to open up but also fast to close up again and stray away from the subject in order to not make a big deal out of whatever is bothering him.

Lance groans and buries his head in between his legs. “ _Lance_ ,” says Keith sternly.

“Keith it’s so stupid, you’re going to think I’m stupid for making it such a big deal” he groans out.

“Don’t worry, I think you’re stupid anyways” he says, a smirk playing at his lips.

“Hey!” Lance whips his head up, staring accusingly with narrowed eyes. Keith chuckles and returns to watching the sea.

Lance sighs for the umpteenth time. “If you keep sighing like that, you might have an asthma attack” Keith replies without blinking.

Lance laughs and looks at Keith incredulously, “it’s still such a shock to me that you can crack jokes” he says shaking his head, Keith just shrugs nonchalantly.

“You’re doing it again, you’re changing the subject. I’m starting to think whatever is wrong is gravely life-threatening” Keith says.

“Yeah, it’s a threat to my love life” Lance remarks.

He goes quiet “I don’t know, I’m starting to think I’m doomed to be lonely because the universe doesn’t seem to want me to be happy after I saved it.” he says his voice dripping with annoyance.

Keith frowns, _he’s so cute_ , “what do you mean?”

“No one’s gonna love me and I’ll die alone.” Lance says, dramatically dragging a hand over his forehead.

 _Ah, at least he’s back to his old self_ , Keith thinks with relief.

“You were right, I do think you’re stupid”, he deadpans out loud

“Wow, thanks buddy, way to mend my bruised ego,” Lance says, feigning hurt and clutching at his chest.

“Anytime” and Keith _winks_. He _winks_ and Lance swears he feels his heart skip a beat.

“And you’re stupid if you think no one will love you. Just because things don’t work out the way you want them to, doesn’t mean it should affect the rest of your life” Keith says in all seriousness.

“I know I know, I just, _oh my god_ -“ he breaks off to take a deep breath, his mind is buzzing around with too many thoughts that he can’t put his emotions into words. He tries again “when Allura told me we were better off as friends, I don’t know, I just felt relieved? Is that bad? I don’t know why I did, but it felt like a weight was taken off me and I could breathe again” he says, his own words do not make any sense to him. Beside him, Keith sits patiently and listens to him ramble.

“It felt like I was living in the shadow of Lotor, constantly trying to make myself better than him, you know? I wasn’t being myself and I was completely changing who I was, trying to get Allura to like me. And I realized that she would never love me the way she loved Lotor so it was best for both of us to move on. Plus she’s happier now because she and Romelle deserve each other” he says with a smile.

“But now there’s this fear that I won’t be good enough for anyone because I wasn’t good enough for one person. And when I saw how happy Shiro and Adam were, I realized I wanted that. I wanted the happiness and love that they had. Because they didn’t give up on each other even through everything that happened to them.” Lance says, with longing dripping out of every syllable that leaves his mouth.

“And I realized, I wanted that with one specific person,” He says the last part quietly that Keith almost doesn’t catch it over the loud rise and fall of the waves. Lance realizes what he’s said but it’s too late now. He’s crossed a line he never thought he would cross and there’s no going back now.

Keith feels his heart drop to his stomach and he blurts out a choked “ _who?_ ” before he can stop himself.

Lance is silent for a few moments and Keith is afraid he’s stepped into unwelcome territory, he begins “I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t-“

Lance interrupts him “you” he replies, cutting through Keith’s apology.

Keith feels his heart stumble and climb back up to his throat. “What?” he asks through a trembling voice.

Lance looks away from the sea and into Keith’s wide and startles eyes. “You” he repeats firmly this time and looks away again

Keith feels a lump forming in his throat, constricting his airways. Here sits a boy, a boy that Keith has been pining after for years. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that same boy would confess his feelings for him while sitting at the shoreline and watching a sunset.

Lance abruptly rises to his feet. “I’m sorry- I should go,” he says and makes to turn around and walk away, but a hand suddenly reaches out and wraps around his wrist, rooting him to the spot. He looks down and sees Keith looking up at him pleadingly.

Keith holds onto Lance’s wrist and hoists himself up. He can hear his heart beating around wildly in his ribcage and he can hear the blood rushing past his ears. Everything that he’s ever hoped and dreamed about has come down to this day, this moment and now that it’s here, his mind is blank and he has no idea what to do. But he can’t let it get away from the tip of his fingertips.

Lance is looking at him expectantly, his blue eyes glazed over with agitation, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, the last dying embers of the sunset illuminating his rosy cheeks. _He looks so gorgeous_ , Keith thinks and he feels a heat crawl up his neck.

“I- I feel the same way” he struggles out through a hoarse voice. He breathes a sigh of relief and feels a weight taken off his chest. “Lance- oh my god- I feel the same way and I have for a very long time” he rushes out.

Seeing Lance happy had meant more to Keith and so he let him go, even if the cause of that happiness wasn’t at the expense of Keith himself.

Keith knew he felt something more than a friendship towards Lance during those two years on the space whale with his mom and Kosmo. It was unbearable, those two years, it was so lonely because a part of his family wasn’t there with him, because Lance wasn’t there with him. Nights spent unable to sleep were haunted by a pair of blue eyes tormenting his every thought, making him desperately ache for someone who wasn’t there, a melodic voice in the back of his mind who kept calling out to him. It was unbearable and he thought he may have lost his mind from missing a person too much.

But when he comes back to see those pair of blue eyes, those blue eyes are seeking someone else, hands around someone else, directing a smile that wasn’t at him, and it hurt, it hurt so much. But he accepted that even though those feelings refused to calm. They rose like a wildfire and burned him from the inside every time Lance entered a room, every time Lance brushed past him, nudged his shoulder with his, everytime they made eye contact, making his hair stand on end and his stomach to flutter with uncontrollable butterflies.

“god Lance-“ Keith starts, his voice deep with hunger “I missed you, I missed you so so much, those two years away from you- I thought I was gonna go insane”

“And then I come back to find you and Allura, you very clearly had a thing for her and I- I just stayed away. And it bothered me so much until I realized it shouldn’t” Keith says, seeming out of breath. Lance keeps staring at him with incredulity and before he even knows he’s moving, he’s in Lance’s space. He hears Lance let out a shaky breath and he feels it ghost on his lips. His hand slowly rises and softly cups Lance’s right cheek.

“Can I kiss you?” whispers Keith. Lance doesn’t reply, Lance can’t reply, instead, he leans in slowly.  Their lips brush and Keith hooks arm around Lance’s hips and grab him closer. Their lips meld together perfectly, fitting into place comfortably like a puzzle. They move against each other like waves, pushing and pulling, surging a wall of passion that knocks the wind from both their lungs. Lance wraps his arms around Keith’s neck and pulls him impossibly closer. Keith feels his whole body alight on fire, spreading a warmth that settles in his bones.

They pull apart but keep their hands on each other, gasping for breath with heaving chests as their heartbeat stutters wildly and their blood rushes to their cheeks. They lean their foreheads together and smile and laugh.

It all comes down to this one moment. It all that matters to Keith, he has Lance McClain in his arms.

They walk from one end of the beach to the other, hands held, fingers intertwined. They stay out until the moon makes an appearance and until the tide is too wild for them to stay near the shoreline. Its cold wind sways their bodies together in rhythm.

Lance stops walking and turns to Keith, grabbing his other hand. He stops and looks at Keith, “I like you” he says with a shy smile as the moonlight illuminates his blue eyes and faint freckles in the dark. He looks down at their joint hands and _giggles_. He _giggles_ and Keith swears it’s the cutest thing he’s ever heard in all the years of his existence. He’s overcome with a surge of adoration for the boy in front of him that he can’t help himself and bends down to steal a kiss from lance, pulling away with a smile as Lance opens his eyes.

“I like you too” he replies, pecking Lance’s cheek. Lance’s billion-dollar smile is the prize and response.

Xxx

It’s late by the time they go back inside. Kosmo is sleeping in the corner, his head on Matt’s lap. Everyone is bustling around preparing for dinner. Lance and Keith go inside, hand in hand, heads together and smiling about something.

Pidge is the first to notice them, she’s carrying plates to the huge dining table. Her eyes zero in on Lance and Keith’s intertwined fingers and she lets out a great big screech. That causes everyone else to stop in their tracks and notice Lance and Keith, standing still with their eyes wide. It takes a split second for everyone to catch on and then the room erupts into loud cheers and into chaos, and someone is screaming and someone else is sobbing.

There are pats on the back and “congrats” and “about time”. 

Through all this, Lance and Keith stay side by side, hands locked.

Fin

**Author's Note:**

> ayyy fuck voltron and fuck canon this is our city now and i say klance is canon king and everyone is alive  
> neways hope u enjoyed xox  
> follow me on twitter @cosmicxdustx


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